Barkin' up the wrong tree
by Sages.Of.Eternity
Summary: When Zexion gets turned into a dog, can he rely on Demyx's help? How long will it take before the other members begin to notice his situation? What will Zexion do when he finds out about Demyx's secret crush? Will the blonde's feelings be returned? Zemyx
1. Ch1: It's a disaster

**Barkin' up the wrong tree**

**Ch.1 A series of unfortunate events  
**

**Sage: okay, this is my first Zemyx fanfic, and I'd like to start off by saying it's a collaboration work I'm doing with my friend; FallenLex. This fic is based off an rp we did, so we both wrote one half of this fic -literally-. We have enough written for about five chapters so far...if things go well with this one, the others will be put up. Of course, we always save the best for later on ;3 **

**Disclaimer: we do not own Zexion or Demyx from KH2/Com.  
**

* * *

Zexion groaned as his eyes opened. He raised his hand and rubbed the top of his head. When he looked at his surroundings he realized that he didn't recognize where he was. His eyes came across a small dog looking through a glass surface to meet his gaze. However, when the Cloaked Schemer peered around the glass, he didn't see anything on the other side. It took him just a moment to realize that the creature was rubbing its head at the same time and in the exact same way that he was. He swallowed hard as the bitter truth made itself known in his mind. 

"I-I'm..." He stared at his own reflection in disbelief. This wasn't possible. Something like this couldn't happen. "A DOG?!"

The creature's silver ears caught the sound of someone's footsteps approaching him. The dog quickly turned his head.

"Someone's coming!" If it were a member of the Organization... A mature member of the Organization, like Saix or the Superior, maybe they could help him... If it were anyone else, he might have to run. He doubted he could fight in this tiny body.

------------------------------------------

_"Number IX, go capture Sora."_

_"B-but.."_

_"That's an order, number IX."_

A dark portal opened up in the cliffy, crystal filled area, a hooded figure stepping out. His identity was soon revealed as he removed his hood and let out a sigh. "I told them they were sending the wrong guy..." The blonde whined. He didn't like fighting. Not that he wasn't any good at it; he just preferred not to result to violence. Sea-green eyes scanned the area, finding it deserted. Looks like he'd have to sit and wait...

Or not.

After a few moments, Demyx got bored and began to walk around. There was a big computer and alot of controls all around. Their purpose; he hadn't a clue. Looking left and right, he approached the buttons, hesitantly wondering if he should test some of them...

Zexion looked around frantically, trying to find the source of the sound. When his eyes caught sight of a boy maybe a few years older than him with a blonde combination of a mohawk and a mullet for hair, he felt relieved. It wasn't exactly who he was hoping for, but at least he was better than Xigbar.

"Number IX!" He tried to shout as he walked towards the Melodious Nocturne, however what came out of his mouth sounded more across the lines of ..."BARK!"

The silver-furred creature yelped in shock, hearing the canine sound come from his throat. He mentally scolded himself. Of course he wouldn't be able to speak; he didn't have a human's vocal cords and his lips didn't curve in the same way.

The creature stared at his fellow Nobody, mentally pleading that the other could recognize the color of his fur... Or at least wouldn't leave him in this strange place.

Just as he was about to press one of the buttons, a loud bark echoed throughout the empty area, causing the blonde to jump. Startled, he stared at a large crystal in particular, wondering if the source of the sound came from beyond it. Demyx cautiously approached the large mass, silence in his ghost-like steps. Placing a hand on the crystal, he slowly peeked behind it, looking around. His eyes didn't catch sight of anything, which made him sigh in relief. But that sigh soon converted into a yell as his eyes dropped their gaze to the ground, spotting a small gray creature.

If he had a heart, he would have had an attack. Demyx blinked and gave the creature a second glance, now noting the pleading look in it's eyes. His fearful expression softened, the blonde now on one knee in front of the critter. "Hey there, little guy...didja get lost?" He reached out a gloved hand hesitantly, hoping he wouldn't get bitten in return. Demyx had heard that when approaching a creature, always let it take in your scent first. What puzzled him the most is how it got here..

Zexion sighed as his fellow Nobody addressed him as "little guy." That meant he wasn't recognized. Not that he could blame the older boy... He didn't even recognize himself at first. The dog watched Demyx in slight confusion as he saw he male extend his hand towards him. The silver-haired creature thought for a moment. He never had a pet... And now that he thought of it, his Other never had a pet either. What would a dog have done in this situation? The Cloaked Schemer rolled his eyes as he realized what the other male expected him to do. He might as well act like a dog. Zexion's canine head came closer to the Melodious Nocturne's hand and he smelled the other boy. Through his leather glove, the creature recognized the smell of... Grass and sugar? An odd combination, but he did what he was expected to do.

Zexion stared into Demyx's eyes. As long as the teen didn't expect him to lick his face, this might turn out well.

_Number IX, please take me back to the castle... _He thought hopefully. He knew it was against the rules to have a pet... Xemnas would probably kill him if he found him, but it was his only hope of turning back to normal at the moment. If he was left out here alone, he wasn't exactly how sure he would live. He doubted there was anything edible around, and it didn't look like there were many people who came to this area.

Demyx pet the small dog with a smile. He didn't know why he was so scared of this furry animal; it was rather cute. The dog looked helpless...no pets were allowed in the castle, but Demyx couldn't help but feel sorry for it. He picked it up, cradling it in his arms before pulling the hood back over his head and summoning a dark portal. If Xemnas asks, he'd just say that the keyblade wielder never showed up.

----

The portal re-opened in front of room number IX, in which the blonde stepped in. Phew. No one saw anything. He put the dog down on his bed, looking at it pensively with an elbow rested in one palm and his other hand on his chin. He had to give it a name...but what? "Hmm...what should I call you?" it's not like the dog could answer his question, but maybe a few positive or negative barks would lead him in the right direction. "How about..."--he tapped his chin for a moment--"..scruffie?"

Zexion rolled his eyes. Scruffie? Did he _look _scruffy? He certainly hoped not. The Cloaked Schemer decided that now would be a good time to try to give the blonde another idea as to who he was. He jumped off of the bed and walked to Demyx's side. The dog bit at the end of the older boy's coat and tugged a little bit.

Organization member... He desperately hoped that the Melodious Nocturne would understand what he was trying to tell him... The cloak was the Organization's uniform. Of course, that was very vague. He lifted his right paw and tapped the ground six times. ...Number VI. The dog felt his tail wag in his hope.

Do you understand? The silver-haired creature heard a whimper sound and it took a moment to register that it came from his own throat. He knew that the water elemental wasn't what one could call bright, but maybe he was just creative enough to understand.

Wait, creative? Was that a compliment? Zexion rolled his eyes again. He had to get out of this body... Dogs were too friendly.

The dog seemed to give him a slight eye-rolling look. Soon enough, he found the canine biting his coat. "Hey!" Demyx protested, tugging it back. "Bad dog! Don't chew on stuff!" His expression shifted from scolding to curious as the dog began to paw at the ground. What did that mean? Little did he pay attention to how many time his paw tapped. Oh no...did he want to be taken out? Demyx bit his lip. If he soiled any parts of the castle, it be embarrassing to cover it up. Then an idea hit him. He scooped up the dog again, summoning another portal.

----

This time, they were in Radiant Garden. This should be a good spot. Demyx put down his furry companion and crossed his arms before looking away at the sky, waiting. Even though it was a dog, animals need their privacy too, y'know.

Zexion couldn't help but roll his eyes again. Of course Demyx wouldn't understand. Maybe he would have paid more attention if he knew that the creature was the Cloaked Schemer, but he thought it was just an ordinary dog. Dogs didn't know how to count. The Melodious Nocturne just took the pawing as a sign that he needed to use the restroom, which he didn't. However, the illusion elemental took note of this result, knowing that he would probably have to relieve himself before he was out of this body.

Number IV shook his head, about to bark at the humanoid in a demand to take him back, but an idea popped into his head. His one last attempt to tell Demyx that he was Zexion. The small gray dog ran for a short distance and found a straight stick. He brought it back and set it in front of his companion, trying to make it sit in a perfect spot. He repeated the action several times until he had ZEXI laid out in sticks on the ground. After that point, he couldn't find any more sticks. The Cloaked Schemer glared at the sticks on the ground, deciding what he had to do. He rearranged the three sticks on the letter I, making it the letter Y. After finishing, he smiled inwardly at his clever idea and barked loudly, standing in front of his name.

_If you don't get this, you really are an idiot. _He thought, somewhat annoyed. Surely the Melodious Nocturne would be able to understand this.

As Demyx dazed off looking at the sky, he was brought to his attention when he heard loud barking. He glanced at the ground, noticing the arrangement of sticks. His face lit up with a smile. "Wow! You can spell!...you're a really smart dog." He was wagging his tail, but it seemed to stop after his response. "I guess you wanna be called Zexy. Okay then..from now on, your name is Zexy!"

He knelt next to him again, scratching behind his ear. Demyx had never owned a pet before; so he was unaware of the responsibilities that lied ahead for him. As much of a hassle it'd be, taking care of Zexy would be fun. All he had to do was make sure he wasn't discovered by anyone else.

Ugh, _"I guess you wanna be called Zexy?" Demyx, you moron. What does "Zexy" sound like? _The dog rolled his eyes. At least the Melodious Nocturne would call him by a name that he would answer to.

_H-Hey! What're you- Hm... Actually that's quite comfortable._ The dog yelped as he saw the hand come close to him, but his tail wagged the moment that the blonde began to scratch him behind his ear. The gray dog licked a small part of Demyx's wrist that was revealed when his arm extended past his sleeve. The moment his tongue licked the human arm, Zexion pulled it back inside his mouth.

_That's vile. Lovely, I have instincts. How nice. _The sarcastic thought entered his mind as he rolled his eyes. He turned his attention back to the bright blue eyes of the Melodious Nocturne.

_Can we go home?_ The gray dog whined.

Demyx let out a small chuckle from the lick. "That tickles, Zexy!" He smiled again, picking up the dog and nuzzling his cheek against the soft fur. "Come on, let's go back." And so, another portal was brought up. To the room!

----

The blonde plopped down on the bed, the dog resting on his chest. He lay on his back and let out a sigh, deciphering on what to do now. Slipping off his gloves, Demyx scratched behind Zexy's ear again, now actually being able to feel the animal's fur beneath his fingers. Another smiled touched his lips as his eyelids grew heavy. Perhaps a small nap wouldn't be a bad idea...

Zexion sighed in relief when he mentioned going back to the room again, though it came out as more of a squeak from the dog's vocal cords. A faint blush snuck onto his cheeks below his fur as Demyx, for lack of a better word, nuzzled his cheek against the creature's gray hair.

_That... Better be a normal dog-human relationship action. If he ever dares to do that to me while I'm in my normal body, he's going to learn that my book is good for more than just reading._

As the blonde dropped onto his bed with Zexion, now Zexy, on his chest, the Cloaked Schemer flinched. Due to his small size, that felt more like a roller coaster. When the water elemental's bare fingers scratched him behind the ear, he found it even more comfortable than it had been with the gloves. Albeit unintelligent, the dog had to admit that the older boy was... What could the proper word be? Loving? No, you have to have a heart to love... Perhaps it was... Kind. That could be the word, yes. He was kind...

Wait, was that another compliment? Zexion, snap out of it! The dog noticed that his... Owner.. was showing signs of weariness and he stood up, walking to the side of the Melodious Nocturne's head, his nose just an inch from the boy's ear.

Demyx stirred in his semi-consciousness, on the verge of both falling asleep, yet waking up. He felt the dog's breath on his ear which made him shake his head lightly, turning to face the dog directly. A cold, wet feeling touched his nose, as he bumped into Zexy's. Eyes still closed, he pulled his head back, edging away from the other's cold nose, blinking a few times before finally opening his eyes.

"What's the matter, boy?" He asked sleepily. Why he was tired was completely beyond him; he hadn't done much today, except go on a mission only to not even finish it.

Zexion felt another blush rise to his cheeks as his nose met with Demyx's and he thanked whatever holy apparition there was in whatever form of heaven existed that he was not a humanoid when that happened.

He immediately took back what he thought after his canine instincts caused him to lick Demyx's cheek. Why did these creatures have to be so affectionate?

But... As he was in a dog form, he decided that he might make the best of it and crawled a bit closer to the Melodious Nocturne to take in some of his... Owner's... Body heat. Just as he began to move, he heard someone knock at the door. Knowing better than to stick around at that point, he hopped onto the ground and hid under the water elemental's bed.

"Hey, little dude!" _Ugh, it's Number II. _And indeed it was. The Freeshooter was talking to the exhausted blonde through the door. "You seen Zexion? He's been gone for a long time without being on a mission or anything and the Superior's gettin' P-O'd, man."

Another smile touched his lips as he received a lick for an answer. The dog sure wasn't tired...maybe he wanted to play? Before he could fully register his thoughts, Zexy hopped off the mattress and his hid under the bed upon a knock being heard from the door. The blonde bolted upright, now fully awake. However, there was something interesting about Xigbar's question.

Come to think of it, he hadn't seen the schemer all day...where could he have gone? Last time the nocturne saw Zexion, he could've sworn he mentioned patrolling or _something_. Sea-green eyes rested on the door, pensively muttering a response.

"I saw him earlier today, but I haven't seen him recently...I don't know where he went. Didn't say.."

Demyx bit his lip. How is it that he didn't notice Zexion's absence? Perhaps his newly found pet kept him so entertained, he forgot about everything else around him. That didn't make him feel any less guilty._ I hope he's alright.._

Zexion listened intently to Xigbar as he asked where he was. The gray dog rolled his eyes. At least people were starting to notice he was gone... Though if Xigbar was the one searching for information, he could pretty much say for sure that he wasn't going to be discovered for a while.

After the Cloaked Schemer was sure that Number II had left, he crawled out from under the bed and jumped back on top of the blankets. Demyx looked...

Guilty? We don't have feelings, we can't feel guilty. What would he be feeling guilty about, anyway? The creature nudged his owner with his nose. _Why am I concerning myself with this? It's just Dem-... Number IX._

The gray dog whimpered and pawed at the Melodious Nocturne's leg.

_"Number IX, look at me and tell me who I look like. Think of my name. Anything familiar? _He tried to say... Unfortunately, all that came out of his canine mouth was "Arf! Arf ruff! Bark!"

Sea-green eyes locked their gaze with the barking canine, giving him a pat on the head and managing a smile. He must have been able to read his expression...These animals were alot more intelligent than most people gave them credit for. It's true what they say; a dog is a man's best friend. "It's okay...I'm just..a little concerned." The blonde held a hand to his chest for a moment, pondering on his words.

"You're lucky...to have a heart. The superior says we don't have emotions, but I believe we do...at least, I think I do." He felt rather silly, talking to a dog; but although they didn't speak the same language, he was sure the creature might of understood some of it.

With a sigh, he stood and walked over to the corner of his room, where his Sitar leaned against the wall. "I wish Zexion would think the same thing.." He shrugged, letting out a carefree chuckle. "Nah. He'd probably say it's nonsense. Besides, what would he care if I was worried about him? I'd just annoy him.." Demyx was smiling and he spoke jokingly when he said this, but in truth, his words couldn't be filled with more hurt.

The nocturne picked up his Sitar, sitting back down on his bed before strumming it's strings. The tune was light and gentle.

_Well its tough to have a crush  
When the boy doesn't feel the same way you do  
Well its tough to have a crush  
When your best friend breaks the news_

_Perhaps youll find me feeling better  
In a day or two  
But its tough to have a crush on you_

_Well its tough to have a crush  
Who ever knew such hullabaloo  
Well its tough to have a crush  
When it only leaves you blue_

_Perhaps they'll find you in the river  
In a month or two  
Well its tough...to crush on you_

He sang it at low volume, not wanting anyone to hear (except for the dog), and leaned back against the backboard of his bed when he stopped.

The gray creature heard himself whine before he could stop himself. He felt... Or at least, he remembered this as... something akin to... Guilt? Sympathy? Not that he could actually feel, of course, be this is how he remembered it felt as a Somebody. The blonde's tone was layered with hurt. Did he really have that much of an effect on the other male? He snorted. Nobodies didn't have feelings. How many times would he have to remind himself of that? Maybe this dog body couldn't understand that.

Zexion felt heat rush to his cheeks as the Melodious Nocturne started to sing to him... About a crush... The dog shook his head. No, Nobodies didn't have feelings, particularly not feelings of love or attraction. It was presumptuous of the water elemental to think that he was different than any other member of the Organization.

Still, all the same, the Cloaked Schemer licked the bare hand on the strings of the sitar, and this time wasn't so hasty to pull away. Maybe he was lucky to be found by Number IX.

Demyx pet Zexy again, feeling a little better. If Zexion couldn't return his feelings, he'd at least have the dog around to talk to. Although he liked to believe the organization members were all his friends, he wouldn't trust them with secrets and personal things. He let out a sigh, a slight frown crossing his features. He was still curious as to where Zexion went...maybe he should go look for him? Even if the schemer would turn out to be unhappy to see him, he wanted to try.

"C'mon, Zexy...let's try finding him." Demyx picked up the dog, both disappearing within a dark portal. Next stop, Zexion's room.

----

Demyx couldn't help but feel unwelcome; after all, we has intruding...Zexion was very iffy when it came to his room; hardly anyone ever entered it other than himself. Everything was neat and in place, except for a few scattered reports on the bed here and there. On a nearby desk, the blonde noticed a book with the nobody symbol on it. That was the book Zexion normally fought with...he found himself biting his lip again, a bad habit he had developed when being consumed with worry. What if Zexion were to get himself and danger and didn't have this at hand?

Ungloved hands grasped the book, holding it out in front of the dog. "Here...maybe you can pick up his scent."

Zexion rolled his eyes again. _'Let's try finding him?' Oh, this is going to be fun. I'm going to find myself. _The blush returned under his fur as the older boy picked him up and walked into a portal of darkness. When the other boy picked up his weapon and held it out in front of him, the dog shook his head.

_Demyx, you moron, I __**am**__ Zexion! _He sighed, the sound coming from his canine throat as a rather embarrassing squeak. The gray dog stared at the book for a moment before an idea came to him. He swatted at the book, causing it to fall from the Melodious Nocturne's hand onto the ground. The weapon opened to a random page. The creature barked at the book and pages started floating around him like they did when he battled. Zexion's head cocked to the side.

_Understand yet?! _He thought in exasperation.

Demyx stared in amazement. "H-how'd you do that?!" The dog seemed to be gesturing something towards him, as if trying to explain something. He pondered for a moment, trying to put his thoughts together...

The coat...the pawing...the sticks...Zexion's absence...the book...

The blonde looked at the dog again, tentatively studying his features. Gray fur...slight bangs, covering one of his eyes a little...he got closer, noting their color; blue. Eyes wide, Demyx backed away. No...it couldn't be! How?! No..it had to be some kind of coincidence!

Hesitantly, the nocturne choked out his words. "..Zexion?..."

* * *

Sage: DUNDUNDUN! O: 


	2. Ch2: Not gonna get us

**Ch.2 Operation: Disguise  
**

**Sage: Y'know what's funny? We now have enough for about another ten chapters, yet I keep putting them up as if we were still writing them. :P  
**

**Disclaimer: we do not own Zexion or Demyx from KH2/Com.  
**

* * *

Zexion nodded frantically and his tail started to wag. Finally... He allowed the pages to return to the book from whence they came and stepped forward, putting his front paws on the older boy's legs. 

_It took you long enough, Number IX. I was beginning to wonder if you would ever understand._ The gray creature allowed his paws to fall back to the floor, but didn't break eye-contact with the blonde. _Of course, no one is going to believe you... This is rather farfetched_. He realized, whimpering a little. _But, at least someone knows who I am._ He barked, showing a spark of relief... And maybe a little happiness. Though, he would never admit it.

Now, as long as the Melodious Nocturne didn't second-guess himself, and Zexion prayed he didn't, then this might turn out alright. 

Demyx poked his fingers together. Now he really felt the guilt trip coming on. All this time, Zexion had been trying to give him clues, and he was too oblivious to them to figure anything out. He felt like a total idiot.

To make matters worse, he played the Sitar...and Zexion heard what he said.

A blush crept across his cheeks. Now that he knew Zexion had been with him all along, he couldn't help but be embarrassed. Now that he thought about it, Demyx had been quite affectionate with the dog since he found him. Nuzzling, petting, hugging...heat rose to the nocturne's cheeks again, his blush only deepening.

Zexion's tail stopped wagging when he saw the blush appear on the Melodious Nocturne's face.

_Oh... Right... He confessed that he had a crush on me... _The dog whimpered. _I'm sure he must regret that._

"Demyx..." He made a squeaky whining noise as he forgot that he couldn't speak. His head drooped. The one time he actually wanted to comfort someone, and he lacked the ability. There was a part of him that hated to see the blonde look so bothered. His head raised to look the older boy in the eye and he put one paw on his leg. 

That compelling need to comfort the other was strange and new to the gray creature, but not quite so much as the feeling that he wanted to be held by the other again. It was... comfortable, in a way... A way that he didn't really understand.

The nocturne glanced at the dog again, slightly iffy about making eye contact. Once he heard him let out a whimper, it cause Demyx to look straight at him. He really wished he could understand what Zexion was saying. From the looks of his pawing, he seemed to want to be picked up. But why? None the less, Demyx picked him up, walking over to his bed and sitting down.

He didn't know where to begin. Perhaps since he had already discovered his song earlier, might as well spill it. With a gentle sigh, Demyx spoke up. "This is awkward..talking to you like this, I mean. But...you heard my song, and..I just wanted to let you know, that's how I feel." he paused for a moment, searching for the right words. "..I've liked you for a while, but I've been too timid to confront you. You're always turning the other cheek and getting annoyed by me...but no matter how much you turn away, I can't help the way I feel.." he found himself blushing again, idly scratching his canine superior's ear again.

"I'm sorry for being so dense..and not being able to help you sooner.." he finished.

Zexion leaned up and licked Demyx's face after he confessed his attraction to the stoic boy. After the lick there was a soft whimper.  
_  
But.. Demyx... We don't have feelings. How can we be in love if we can't so much as feel real anger or real sadness?_ He thought, feeling sorry for the older male. He silently wondered how the other would like him of all people, anyway. He was so excitable and chipper... The gray-haired boy was boring and silent, even when he could speak.When he felt the other boy's hand scratching his ear, he squeaked, looking back at the blonde. Oooh, yes. Yes, he did like that. When the Melodious Nocturne apologized for being dense, Zexion shook his head.  
_  
Don't worry about it_. He thought. He was frustrated earlier, but realized that he wouldn't have been able to figure it out himself. He would have been too stubborn and would have thought it impossible for someone to suddenly be a different species.

Demyx blushed deeply from having his face licked, laughing lightly from his ticklish senses. Did this mean Zexion was returning his feelings? At least he knew he was being forgiven for his clueless behavior earlier. Studying the dog's features again, he couldn't help but smile. "You're even cuter as a dog." He chuckled as Zexion leaned in to his hand while scratching his ear.

Though, he wanted to find a way to change him back...he had no problems taking care of him in this situation; but it'd help a little if Demyx could understand him. Glancing at the book again, he got an idea. "Hey, Zexy...you can make clones of yourself, right?" His smile turned into a grin. "You can clone yourself, and your clone can replace you so the others won't notice. In the meantime, we'll try to find a way to get you back to normal. The clone can also speak for you, so I'll know what you're trying to tell me."

Egads! Was that a bright idea he just came up with? Things were starting to turn up for the better.

Zexion felt blood rush to his face as the Melodious Nocturne called said that he was cute as a dog.  
_  
Cute? ...Me? That wasn't really... Expected. Though, what he said earlier about a crush, I suppose I should have expected it._When the blonde suggested that he should make a clone, the dog shook its head rapidly and jumped to his book.

_If only it were that convenient. Sorry, Demyx. It doesn't work that way._ He barked at his weapon and two perfect copies of him appeared... Though they were also dogs. All three looked at the water elemental with a sympathetic look before the two clones disappeared.

The Cloaked Schemer's ears perked up when he thought of an idea, himself. The gray creature ran to his computer and pressed the power button on the tower with his nose. As the computer booted up, the dog hopped onto his chair at pawed at the screen, around the point where the word processor was on his desktop. If he could type.. Albeit slowly without the luxury of fingers... He might be able to talk to Demyx, at least.

Demyx frowned upon seeing his idea fail to work. Gah, no dice. Now he was going to have to find another way to cover up his absence while they took care of this mess. The blonde blinked curiously when Zexion jumped onto his chair, attempting to type something on the computer. It was going to be arduous for him in his current state; seeing as how he lacked opposable thumbs.

"Y'know, Zexy...you could always try spelling out things with your book. I don't think this'll work out for you." It was true; besides, it's not like they'd have a computer at hand everywhere they go.

Zexion turned to look at Demyx and his eyes widened.  
_  
Well, that was rather obvious, Zexion. Why couldn't you think of that?_ The dog jumped off of his chair and back down to his book. After staring at the weapon for a moment, he realized that there was something he'd never tried before. The creature barked at the piece of literature and it opened, a page floated out with something written on it.  
  
Thanks.

The Cloaked Schemer stared proudly at the floating piece of paper for a moment longer before turning to his book and barking twice. The already airborne piece of paper returned to whence it came and another page floated out.  
  
You aren't as dumb as you look.

If it were possible, the dog would have smirked.

Demyx grinned but then frowned on the 'dumb' comment. "Hey!" He pouted.

Crossing his arms, he looked at Zexion quizzically. "Now that you can talk...how are we gonna keep the others at bay while we figure this out?" Like Zexion, he too could create clones; only, they were made up of water. The real question was, could he make clones of people _other_ than himself? The blonde scratched his head for a moment pondering over it, then decided to give it a shot.

"Zexy...I think I've got another idea." He found himself grinning again, proud of how many good suggestions he had come up with so far. At least now he knew he wasn't useless (well, to Zexion at the moment). Taking the book and picking him up as if it had become some sort of routine, they warped to Demyx's room.

-----

Once there, Zexoin was put down on the bed, and his pulled his Sitar out of the corner. "Dance, water, dance!" A large mass of liquid was summoned into the center of the room, twisting and forming around, trying to capture a definite shape. Now, Demyx was no artist, or sculptor at that, but tried his best to mold it around. With a turn of the wrist, it was complete; a replica of Zexion. Same height, bangs falling over one eye and all. Only thing is...it was made of water.

"Hmm..." Demyx crossed his arms and tapped his foot again, thinking of how to fix this. They would need some kind of disguise so that it didn't look like it was made of water...not only that, but the clone was incapable of human speech...

Zexion watched intently as Demyx created a water clone and shaped it to look like the Cloaked Schemer. The gray creature whimpered. He wasn't supposed to feel, but he felt something akin to... Jealousy? Psht. How petty. Just because the blonde has the ability to change the look of his "clones," it wasn't something to be jealous over. It was just a difference.

It was, however, a very good likeness, he had to admit... If not for the part about it being made of water.

The dog stared at it for a moment before coming up with an idea. It barked at its book and it opened, a page floating out of it.

Can it wear one of my uniforms? The page asked, Zexion tilting his head to the side. He wondered if the water was tangible enough for the cloak not to slip through.

"I guess.." Demyx left for a brief moment, re-entering with one of Zexion's coats from his room. He instructed the waterclone to spread out it's arms, sliding a sleeve into each one. After pulling up the zipper, the clone looked down at it's new wardrobe, then gave Demyx a sideways glance. "Good. The water's solid enough to hold it up. Still...we need to hide your face." He reached out and pulled the hood over it's head, pulling the strings to make it tighter around the face. "That should do it."

Many organization members often walked around with their hoods on, so it wouldn't be too out of the ordinary if the clone was seen doing the same. "One more finishing touch.." The nocturne dug through his closet to pull out a pair of boots, setting them in front of the clone. "They're kinda big, since they're mine, but put them on. If you don't, you'll just leave a trail of water everywhere you go." The clone did as it was told, stepping into the large footwear.

"Now you just have to learn to talk, then you'll be all set." He grinned confidently.

The dog watched intently as Demyx dressed the clone. When he mentioned needing the watery humanoid to talk, Zexion whimpered. He thought hard for a moment before barking at his book. A page floated out with words written on it.

_Demyx... I honestly have no clue what to do about the voice. Can you think of something? You were clever enough to think up all of those other ideas._ He whimpered again, not realizing that he had used the name of the blonde and not his number for once. His head drooped and he allowed his body to lie on the floor, his head between his front paws. He had given the other another compliment... This time out loud (sort of...) He winced inwardly and looked away, trying not to embarrass himself further.

"Hmm...I guess I can make up an excuse to the others; say you have a sore throat or lost your voic--hey...wait a sec.." Sea-green eyes laid their gaze on the small canine, who whimpered. "You called me 'Demyx'.." A wide grin spread across his lips as the blonde crouched down in front of Zexion, chuckling. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were warming up to me."

Seeing him sitting in that position, head between his paws; it was too adorable. Demyx picked him up, resting the dog on his back and nuzzling his furry chest. "You're so cute!!" He exclaimed gleefully, a light blush crossing his cheeks. His superior wasn't going to remain this form forever, so might as well make the best of it and take advantage of temporarily having him as a pet.

The dog made a high-pitched whining sound when the other boy pointed out that he had called him by his name. He looked at the paper, still floating above the book from whence it came. Indeed, it did say "Demyx." He called him by his name and used a compliment at the same time. Maybe the other was right... Maybe he was becoming closer to him.

However, being picked up and turned on his back was a bit strange... And not quite as strange as Demyx nuzzling his chest.

_Demyx, if you drop me, I swear..._ His train of thoughts was broken when he realized that he couldn't really do anything. The gray creature found himself actually licking the blonde's cheek again.

_Why do I keep doing that?!_

Demyx giggled again from receiving another lick. Ah, if only Zexion were this affectionate as a human...The blonde sat up, scratching the dog's tummy. Though he could get use to having him as a pet. Of course, the nocturne wouldn't be so selfish as to keep him this way. The waterclone curiously tilted it's head to the side, observing the strange behavior of the two. Not that it could understand; it was _water_, afterall.

At least, that's what everyone_ thought_. See, it was true his clones were just a mass of H2O and nothing more, but this clone in particular had smarts. Sometimes Demyx brought himself to believe it somehow took a piece of his brain (which anyone would believe with his level of intelligence). He liked to call this clone 'Dewy'. Now, Dewy was a trickster. He liked to play pranks on his master and disobey him, but when obliged, he could be very useful. It seemed to be highly amused with Demyx's plan, so from the looks of it, Dewy would be cooperating this time.

Still scratching Zexion's stomach, Demyx turned to his liquefied ally and grinned. "Don't worry about talking, kay? I'll make up an excuse. Good luck!" He summoned up a dark portal, since the clone was incapable of conjuring his own.

With that said, Dewy confirmed his command with a nod and stepped into the portal.

Zexion silently wondered what would happen if he still had the remnants of his canine instincts when he turned back into a human and licked Demyx's cheek when he turned back. The gray dog shook its head, trying to discard that thought.

He watched with mild interest as the Melodious Nocturne spoke to his clone as if he were talking to a human rather than a mass of water. When the watery creation disappeared into the portal, the Cloaked Schemer jumped from his owner's arms and onto the bed. He barked twice at his book and the remaining page disappeared, being replaced by another.

Thank you for helping me.

The dog stared up at his companion and wagged his tail.

"No problem." He grinned.

Standing up, he picked up his Sitar and headed towards the door. "Now..I just have to get to the other members before Dewy does.." He had sent his waterclone to the meeting room, so he was probably sitting in one of the high chairs as they spoke. The meeting was going to commence soon, and Xemnas would be asking Demyx why he hadn't completed his mission.

Again, everything came with perfect timing and a plan. Not like Demyx at all, but heck, who was complaining?

"I gotta go for a while. You wanna stay put, or come with?"

Zexion listened as Demyx asked him whether he was coming or not and didn't hesitate to bark at his book. The floating page disappeared and was replaced by another.

I'm coming with you, of course. The page said, with the dog looking rather determined.

_Honestly, how could he think otherwise? I'm not leaving his side until I get out of this body._ The Cloaked Schemer thought, deciding to keep with the usual stereotype that dogs are loyal creatures. Even if he wasn't born a dog, he had most of the instincts.

The creature wagged its tail as it watched the other boy hopefully. If he dared to leave him there, he would follow.

"Okay..." Demyx said hesitantly, kneeling and pulling down the zipper of his coat halfway. "Unfortunately, this is the only way I can hide you. I can wear the hood over my head and you can try perching on my shoulder or something."

Footsteps were soon heard from outside his door; probably other members on their way to the meeting room. The blonde glanced back at Zexion, a bit more hurried this time. "Come on! We don't have much time!"  
_  
_

_Pfft, you're telling me to hurry? Who's the higher rank here? _The dog glanced at the door before hastily jumping into the older boy's coat. He licked the water elemental's cheek and glanced at the door again as if to say "hurry up."

The creature looked at his book, realizing there was still a page floating in mid-air. He barked as quietly as he could because of the people walking in the hall. The floating piece of parchment returned to the book from whence it came and Zexion looked around to see if there was anything else suspicious in the room. Nothing other than a few pieces of dog hair on the bed, and he probably only noticed them because of his sense of smell. Any other Organization member would have trouble seeing them.

Demyx zipped up his jacket and slipped the hood over his head, summoning a portal and heading towards the meeting room.

* * *

Sage: I've run out of things to say (Already? jeeze.) So toodles for now! The more you review, the faster the update!

Chapter 3: update me! DD:

Sage: NO! e.e Not until we get our reviewssss -hisses-

Chapter 3: meep oo;


	3. Ch3: Broken

**Ch.3: Broken  
**

**Sage: ehehe. I've seen you've all been good little reviewers. I just got back from a Con, and am in a pretty good mood (aside from being exhausted from overloads of anime and cosplay) I cosplayed Demyx (which I will post a link of my cosplays in the next chapter) and got alot of hugs and pictures taken x3 since I'm so happy, I decided to post soon. :3 You'll soon see why I held Chapter 3 captive...-whispers- it's the only one with drama in it! And it makes things a bit more interesting...**

**Chapter 3: OMGYES Dx I'm free! -huggles T.O.P- T.T**

**Sage: Speaking of which, if you guys were curious to know; Zexion is (currently) a Cairn Terrier...and don't give me credit for keeping him IC as a dog; that's FallenLex's work n.n; Don't forget, we _both_ wrote this fic. She writes all the parts for Zexion; I write the ones for Demyx. (The other characters are written by both of us) So if there's anyone to praise for keeping him IC, it's FallenLex n.n Enough of my rambling; enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: We do not own Demyx or Zexion from KH2/CoM.   
**

* * *

The Melodious Nocturne was now seated in the ninth seat; the others transporting their way in to their own seats. The blonde peered three seats to his right, seeing the smaller cloaked figure already there. _Perfect... _Demyx looked down the inside of his coat from the corner of his eye, giving the dog a wink. "Don't worry about a thing; it's all taken care of." He whispered. 

Zexion felt a rise in confidence as Demyx winked at him. Maybe everything would turn out alright...

Within a few moments, as if on cue, the last person missing entered the room; Xemnas. Everyone immediately paid attention, awaiting their leader's orders. "I have urgently gathered you all here for you to report the status of your missions."

Demyx gulped.

"Number IX; did you get rid of the keyblade wielder?"

His head jerked up in response, the blonde now racking with nerves. He still remembered what happened the last time he failed, and was afraid of what his leader would do if he found out he failed again. "N-no...I waited to ambush him, but he never showed up. Maybe he knew of our whereabouts..."

Luckily, Xemnas bought that excuse and carried on. The nocturne let out a sigh of relief. But soon, that sigh turned into a gasp.

"Ah, Number VI...you've decided to join us. Where have you been?"

The waterclone motioned to speak, but Demyx soon cut in. "He can't speak, superior. Zexion was on patrol earlier today and I found him unconscious. I think some of the heartless went berserk and attacked him..since then, he lost his voice...probably from trying to yell out an attack, or, erm...something..."

They all gave him a questionable stare, Xemnas raising a silver brow.

"Heh, it's not surprising he got taken out by a bunch of mindless drones. Pathetic." A feminine voice responded in a mocking tone.

Zexion couldn't keep back a low growl when he heard Larxene speak against him. The moment he noticed he was going it he stopped, however, and no one seemed to have heard him.

"Silence, number XII. He's your superior, show some respect."

"Thank you, number VII." Xemnas finished, Dewy crossing his arms and giving a nod. That waterclone sure was arrogant..."Well, now that everything is clear around here, you may all be dismissed."

One by one, each member teleported out, leaving Demyx, the clone, and a certain redhead nearby.

"...Lost his voice, huh?"

Demyx looked over to the seat next to him, biting his lip. "Yeah.."

"Man, I don't know how the superior fell for that one, but..." Emerald eyes locked their gaze upon the blonde. "...you sure are a bad liar."

"Uh...gotta go!" Demyx quickly left, creating a portal for the clone as well.

"You're hiding something...and I'm gonna find out what." As these words left his lips, Axel disappeared as well.

When Xemnas dismissed them, the Cloaked Schemer thought it was over. However, once eleven of the members left, he heard a certain mischevious voice speak up. Axel... How could Axel of all people notice him when their own Superior hadn't? Before he could think further on this, the blonde whose coat he was still sitting in teleported out of the meeting room.

------

"Phew! That was close!" Demyx threw himself back on his bed, forgetting Zexion was still in his coat. "Gah, I'm sorry! Are you okay?" He asked worriedly, unzipping his jacket as he lay down.

Once he and the water elemental arrived in their---_Demyx's_ room, the blonde fell backwards, his arm squishing the gray creature a little, but the dog was otherwise unharmed. After he crawled out of the boy's coat he looked at the elder for a moment with concerned eyes before turning to his weapon. He barked at the book and a page floated out like it had so many times before.

I'm fine, but I'm worried about Number VIII. He whimpered softly.

Demyx bit his lip. He was just as worried as Zexion was. What would happen if Axel were to discover their whereabouts? It couldn't be _that _bad...could it? It's not like he'd incinerate Zexion...would he? The blonde stood for a moment, opening the door. Before he could step out, the pyro's voice stopped him from any further action.

"Hey there, squirt."

Demyx tried not to stutter and form a complete sentence. "Oh, uh...Hi, Axel! You're looking lively.." He smiled nervously. "W-what are you doing around here?"

"I was just on my way to my room...It _is _right next door; remember?"

The nocturne sweatdropped. He had completely forgotten that! Now he _really _had to be on his toes. "Heh, right...silly me. Well..uh--Bye." He slowly withdrew his head behind the door, then pulled himself back in the room out of haste. Back against the door, he let his body slide down until he was seated, a groan escaping his lips. _Oh, what am I going to do __**now?!**_

Zexion watched as his blonde companion walked to the door and opened it. Once he had, however, the dog heard a familiar voice beyond the doorway. Resisting the urge to whimper again, the gray creature considered diving under the bed once again. However, he decided against it with the thought that if he did that it would make noise and cause Axel to be further filled with suspicion. Instead, the Cloaked Schemer waited patiently for the door to close again. If he stayed still enough and the fire elemental saw him, maybe he could pass as a stuffed animal.

Once the door had closed, the dog noticed Demyx's actions. They concerned him. The other Nobody was usually a childish, happy sort. Right now he just looked lethargic and stressed... And it was his fault. Feeling guilty, Zexion walked to the Melodious Nocturne. He crawled between the older boy's legs, parted from the way he was sitting, and put his front paws on the other male's chest. He leaned forward and licked the boy's face, just left of his lips.

_Come on, Demyx. You aren't acting like your usual, happy self. ...And I care? This is... No, no... I just don't want to deal with a depressed room mate. It would make things easier if he weren't so bothered._

His cheeks flushed automatically. "Ze-Zexion?.." He begun to notice that the dog was licking him closer and closer to his mouth each time. Was this a side effect due to the traits and instincts of a dog; or was he doing it of his own free will? Demyx had to meander at this...did Zexion really like him? The schemer had always told him they don't have hearts, that they can't feel; just like their superior. But the blonde believed otherwise. The real question; was Zexion starting to change his mind on those thoughts, or was his behavior all just in his current canine nature?

So many questions filled the blonde's mind. There was one in particular Demyx wanted to ask, but was too iffy about bringing it up. He spilled out his secret; having a crush on Zexion, but never once got a chance to find out if his feelings were returned. He tried to bite his tongue to prevent anything from slipping out, but couldn't fight the urge to ask. "Zexion...do you...do you love me?" His blush still remained as he placed a hand on his forehead, looking away.

Demyx didn't like feeling so down. He was the enthusiasm of the organization, and no matter what the other members said or how they treated him, his optimism always kept in tact, his spirit never broken. But for the first time, he couldn't pick himself back up. He had fallen into quite the predicament of responsibility and problems. Zexion's fate was in his hands now, and he had no clue what to do with it.

Zexion flinched when he heard the other male ask him a question.

_'Do you love me?'_ The gray dog whimpered and stepped off of Demyx's chest, backing away from the blonde. _N-No... No, I can't. I don't have a heart. I can't feel anything, much less... _His ears drooped and he lowered his head. He barked at his book, lying near him. A page floated out.

No. It read simply. The Cloaked Schemer turned around and crawled under the bed. He lowered himself to the floor.

_I... I can't. I just... can't. Demyx... I'm sorry... I can't, and neither can you_. The gray dog put his paws on his snout.

Sea-green eyes widened upon seeing the one-word response. The dog disappeared under his bed shortly after giving him the answer. Demyx lowered his gaze towards the ground, pushing himself off the door to stand up. A pained look struck his features, eyes closing for a moment.

"Call me stubborn, but..." his hands fell to his sides, a bit tense. "No matter what the superior says, we _do_ have emotions. Everyone's too blinded by filling their minds with this 'lacking a heart' nonsense to see it..I may not be the brightest guy around here, but I'm smart enough to know that it doesn't take a heart to _feel_. The heart's just an organ that pumps blood throughout the body to keep it alive; nothing more. It's your _soul_ that holds emotions. Last time I checked, no one said anything about us lacking one of those."

The nocturne now found himself trembling slightly, fists beginning to clench. "I mean, look at Axel and Roxas. They're best friends! They enjoy each other's company and share a bond...they feel _happiness_ when they're together..." His eyes opened, casting a glance towards his bed. "You too! When you woke up in the middle of nowhere and saw what happened to your body, you panicked! You were scared and concerned for your own safety...fear and worry are feelings, aren't they?!" He hadn't noticed how much his voice began to rise as he spoke, but it couldn't be helped; Demyx was tired of hearing the same record over and over. It was just an excuse to set the matter aside. It was about time he had his own say in this.

"Even the superior himself.." The blonde choked out. He was now on the verge of tears. "When we don't complete our missions or others interfere with our plans, he gets angry...anger's an emotion; _isn't it_?!" Demyx turned on his heel, dashing out the door. Halfway down the hall, he saw a spec of red through his blurred eyes, not even stopping to listen to what the redhead had to say.

"Demyx! Where are you off to in such a--" For that split second the nocturne brushed past him, Axel could've sworn he saw something glisten from the corner of his eye. The pyro blinked before trailing off his sentence. "Hurry.." With hesitance, he curiously followed after the blonde.

It sounded like Demyx was standing up. The gray dog under the bed stood as well. The blonde wasn't planing on leaving, was he? Zexion listened as his companion began to speak. With every hurt word that left the boy's mouth, the Cloaked Schemer felt more weighed down by something. This was... Guilt. Not something _like_ guilt, but honest, pure guilt. Maybe the other was right. Maybe they _could_ feel.

Just when the Melodious Nocturne started talking about the Superior's anger, the gray creature began to crawl out from underneath the bed. However, by the time he made it completely out, he only saw the older boy's back as he dashed from the room. Zexion... Hesitated.

_I... I should follow him._

_B-But what if someone__ sees me?_

_...It doesn't matter. I've got to make sure he doesn't do something stupid._

The dog ran into the hallway with one goal in mind: Find Demyx. Even though he was in plain sight, even if he was discovered and thrown into the streets or killed, even though he saw Axel trailing the blonde as well... None of it mattered to Zexion. All that mattered was that Demyx was alright.

He saw the blonde further down the hallway and barked as loudly as he could. He didn't seem to notice or care that he was right next to Number XI's door. The creature sped up, going as fast as possible to try and gain on the older boy.

"Oi! Demyx, wait up!" Axel called after the blonde, only to find himself falling behind._ Damn, that kid's fast_. He continued to run after him, determined to catch up with hopes that the other would eventually get tired and slow down.

"Go away!"

Well _that _sounded welcoming. It wasn't in the boy's character though...usually it was other members that shooed him for his hyper-activeness. What could've happened to make him so upset? He blinked in surprise when Demyx tripped and stumbled onto the floor, causing the redhead to sweatdrop. The echo of their footsteps soon ceased as Axel came to a halt, kneeling over the blonde. The other boy had sat up on his knees and pulled his hood over his head, looking away at the floor.

The redhead offered him a hand to stand up. "Hey man, you okay?" Axel gave him a quizzical look when the other chose to hide his face, slowly lowering his hand. "What's wrong?..."

Unluckily, a small sniff escaped him, and his voice still broken from trying to fight back tears. "Nothing." He stood up by himself, wiping his eyes with the back of his fist.

"Doesn't _sound_ like nothing. You've been acting weird lately...is there something I've missed here?"

Demyx shook his head, walking away from him.

"What's going on?" Vexen had heard the commotion along with a thud outside his door, feeling slightly annoyed that the ruckus was ruining his concentration.

"Don't worry about it; he just tripped. Was an accident."

"Well, keep it down!"

_SLAM_

Axel cringed slightly at the sound of the door shutting, then walked after Demyx, placing a hand on his shoulder. "C'mon, Dem. Let's talk." He pushed the blonde forward, leading them both outside.

-----

"So what's troubling you?

He was silent for a moment, staring at the ground. Then finally, he spoke. "...Axel, _you_ think we can feel without hearts..don't you?"

"Is that was this is all about?" the redhead chuckled. "Of course, Dem. You do too, ne?" Ever since he met Roxas, he felt like he _had_ a heart; as if their friendship gave him the ability to feel.

Demyx nodded in response. "It's just...I've had it with everyone saying that we don't have emotions..." It was like having the same lie fed to you a hundred times over; only coated with a different flavor of details each time.

"Well, you've never listened to them before, so why does it bother you now?"

Again, he grew silent. Before he could respond, an explosion in the distance interrupted their conversation.

"NUMBER VIII!!!!" Vexen hollered.

"Yikes...I better go."

Demyx raised an eyebrow. "What didja do?"

"Ah, nothing...I just wanted to give him a little..._assistance_, so I 'helped' him light one of his beakers." he grinned, flicking his wrist.

"JUST WAIT UNTIL I GET MY HANDS ON Y--AAAHHH!!"

Just when he thought it might have been another chemical igniting, the blonde stared down the hall, eyes wide. He spotted a small gray creature running towards him. _Crap!!_

Fortunately for him, Vexen didn't spot the dog scurrying about; he had tripped around the same area he tripped on earlier, face-first. Ouch. Suddenly, Axel's voice cut into his thoughts.

"I gotta get outta here before the old fart catches up to me." He gave Demyx a pat on the back. "..and look, don't worry too much, okay?" He summoned a portal and was gone in an instant. "See ya!"

Once the dog caught up to him, Demyx knelt in front of him, hoping no one would see. "What're you doing out here?" he hissed. His tone wasn't angry; more along the lines of freaking out.

Zexion could have sighed in relief once he finally caught up to the blonde. However, once he was there, he was asked a question... More demanded, actually. The gray dog gave his owner a look that presented his thoughts rather well.

_You have __**got**__ to be kidding me. You run out of your own room crying and you think I won't be concerned, even a little bit? _The gray creature leaned up and put his paws on the older boy's chest, beginning to lick away the tears that had been running down his cheeks._ Maybe... Maybe I do love you_. He felt heat rush to his cheeks. _But... I think it would be better to wait until I'm in my right body before I tell you_. The Cloaked Schemer resumed his place with all four legs on the floor and bit his sleeve, tugging it as if to say "Come on, let's go back to your room." He let go of the blonde, hesitantly looking to Vexen on the far side of the hallway.

Demyx sighed. A lick seemed to be his answer for everything now...perhaps it wasn't from developing a likeness. He still felt hurt, but none the less, he couldn't turn his back on Zexion. He loved him too much to not help him; even if the schemer might not feel the same way. The blonde sniffled a little as his tears were licked away by the dog, his eyes still reddened from crying. However, he couldn't help but noticed for a brief moment that there was something odd about Zexion...

Was it possible for dogs to blush? Because he could've sworn...

Nah. Demyx shrugged it off and opened a portal behind the dog, stepping in and expecting the dog to follow. There was going to be an awkward tension between them now; starting with the fact that the nocturne didn't pick up the small dog this time and let him walk on his own. He'd feel strange being touchy and friendly with him now, especially after being turned down. Even still, what bothered him was that Zexion showed slight signs of affection, such as licking, but didn't seem to mean any of it...it felt like he was being messed with or teased; and _that's_ what pained him most. Why did he chase after him?

_Why does he even __**care?...**_

Zexion quickly padded into the portal behind Demyx, not even stopping to make sure Vexen hadn't seen him.

_Demyx... I really hurt him_. He whimpered, paying attention to the dejected actions of his companion. The Melodious Nocturne barely even looked at him. He emerged from the portal behind the blonde and immediately got as close to the other male as possible. He pressed his body against the elder's leg and looked up at his face, aquiring the stereotypical puppy-dog eyes.

_Demyx... I'm really sorry_. He whined, his ears drooping. The guilt he had been feeling before hit him as hard as ever upon seeing the way that his owner reacted to him. _Please... Look at me... Laugh... Smile... Something. I don't want to see you like this_. If he had a heart, it would have sunk. Did his rejection really hurt the Nocturne this much? How much would he have loved him to be this depressed? He wondered silently if Axel said anything to him to make him worse than he was. No, Axel was a selfish person when it came to everything but Roxas, but he wouldn't deliberately hurt someone... At least, not emotionally. It wasn't in his nature. So... This really was all his fault.

Demyx let out a sigh as they entered his room. He was walking over to his bed when he felt something against his leg, and looked down to see Zexion pouting. _Don't look at me like that.. _He hung his head, turning away and heading towards the small bathroom in his room, turning on the sink and splashing water on his face. Never had he cried like that; in fact, that was probably the first time he ever did. His eyes were stinging from irritation, but the redness had worn down a bit. After burying his face in a towel, he went to his closet, unzipping his coat. He tossed it carelessly inside, sat down on his bed, (which he didn't bother to fix since this morning) and pulled off his boots. With another sigh, the blonde lay back, hands behind his head.

Today had been quite exhausting for him. Failing a mission, finding one of his superiors as a dog, dealing with mayhem, being rejected, and having an emotional breakdown wasn't what one would call 'fun'. Demyx turned to his side, sweeping away a few dog hairs absentmindedly with the back of his hand. He was tired, but not too sleepy. He glanced towards the floor, spotting the dog sitting nearby. Although his frown remained, he really wanted to get on good terms with Zexion. He disliked pushing each other away, and could never hold a grudge against the schemer either way. Not only that, but the blonde felt bad for making his sleep on the floor; even if he _was_ a dog.

Demyx pat the space next to him, motioning for Zexion to jump up. "C'mere, Zex.." he whispered tiredly.

Zexion watched in guilt and concern as Demyx made his way to the bathroom, splashing his face with cool water to wash the tears (and, most likely, dog slobber) off of his face. When he removed his coat and tiredly lay back on his bed, the dog's ears drooped. Certainly they wouldn't be sharing a bed after what happened. However, much to his surprise, the older male patted the space beside his bed, allowing the dog to join him.

Eagerly, the creature jumped onto the bed and rested next to Demyx, pressing his body against the elder's stomach and chest as much as possible. He tilted his head up a bit and licked his owner's chin.

_Thank you, Demyx... You're still helping me, even though I... _He closed his eyes. Maybe he should tell the Nocturne that he loves him right now. _No... No, right now he's still hurt from rejection. If I tell him right now, it would probably make him angry rather than cheer him up._

The gray dog opened his eyes again and stared at Number IX's innocent, childish face. Oh, how he wished that a smile would grace it's features once more... Maybe one would, if he was patient enough. If this is what happened when the boy was rejected, maybe he would be really happy after being accepted. Zexion certainly hoped so.

Demyx managed a little smile, wrapping an arm around the small dog. Maybe things would turn up for the better...he didn't know if he could still win Zexion's affection some way; but for now, he'd take being his friend. As long as he could still be with him, that's all he needed. Slowly, his eyelids grew heavy and he drifted off to sleep.

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**Sage: -sighs- ah...a boy and his dog. Isn't that sweet? x3 Review, people!**

**Chapter 4: -tries to saw off the prison bars of it's cage-  
**

**Sage: Oi! e.e -snatches saw away- you can't be set free till we get our reviews!**

**Chapter 4: DDDx**

**Sage: -hides saw behind her back- I'mnotcrazy. -shifty eyes-  
**


	4. Ch4: You've got a friend in me

**Ch.4: You've got a friend in me  
**

**Sage: 'ello again to you all! n.n As you know, I tend to answer questions in my author's notes, so here I go! **

**Vexen and Demyx tripped over...a conveniently placed banana peel which nobody noticed/bothered to pick up. srsly.**

**Our chapters are genderless; therefor, they are ITS! o.O**

**And if you notice, I tend to title my chapters after songs :3 I forgot to put the disclaimers in the previous chapters, so here they are.**

**Disclaimer: We do not own "It's tough to have a crush" and "Disaster" by Okgo, "Not gonna get us" by Tatu, "Broken" by evanescence, and "You've got a friend in me" from toy story. Or Demyx/Zexion from KH2/CoM. Can't forget that.  
**

**This chapter is extremely long! O.O And this author's note is making it even longer...**

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The next morning, Demyx woke up early and was sure to get out of bed quietly so that he wouldn't wake Zexion. He yawned and stretched, half-dazedly glancing at his Sitar. There wasn't much to do at this hour; most of the members were still asleep, and Xemnas hadn't given him any new orders. The blonde sat next to his instrument, taking it in his hands and strumming it randomly out of boredom. He played softly to avoid being a disturbance. Soon enough, the random notes became a gentle, mellow tune, and he began to sing just as softly. 

_You've got a friend in me  
You've got a friend in me  
When the road looks rough ahead  
And you're miles and miles  
From your nice warm bed_

He glanced at the sleeping dog for a moment, then looked back at the strings.

Zexion stirred barely-noticably as his companion woke up the next morning. The dog remained as still as possible, trying to go back to sleep. It was safe to say that the Cloaked Schemer was most certainly not a morning person. He heard the hollow sound of someone picking up an instrument and deduced that the Melodious Nocturne must have decided to play a little. He strained his ears to hear the quiet tune that the blonde was playing.

_Just remember what your old pal said  
Boy, you've got a friend in me  
You've got troubles, well I've got 'em too  
There isn't anything I wouldn't do for you  
We stick together and we see it through  
You've got a friend in me_

His voice began to become a little louder, but still soft enough for no one to hear on the other side of the door.

When the gray creature heard the song that was being played, he felt heat rush to his cheeks. Well, at least his fellow Organization member didn't seem to be so angry at him as he did before. At least, he hoped that was what the song meant.

_Some other folks might be  
A little bit smarter than I am  
Bigger and stronger too..._

He now found himself smiling, chuckling at how true that verse was.

_Maybe  
But none of them will ever love you the way I do  
It's me and you.._

As the song reached these lyrics, the Illusionist couldn't keep his tail from wagging.

_Damn dog instincts... _He's going to know that I'm awake. He thought. Annoyed was an understatement. He was embarrassed as well. The quadruped tried to become as still as possible, hoping that the other male hadn't seen him. Well, he's so oblivious, maybe he won't realize that those words were what made my tail wag. Hopefully, at least.

_And as the years go by  
Boys, our friendship will never die  
You're gonna see  
It's our destiny  
You've got a friend in me.._

As the song ended, Zexion realized that he couldn't have been more stiff if he tried. If anyone saw him and didn't know better, they might have thought that he was stuffed.

Sea-green eyes trailed they gaze towards the bed, and noticed the dog wag his tail for a brief moment. Demyx smiled as he finished the song, setting the Sitar aside. He stood and walked over to the bed, plopping down in front of Zexion; laying on his stomach, arms crossed and chin resting on them. "Mornin', Zexy." He grinned.

He wasn't sure if Zexion was starting to take a liking towards him; he wasn't too sharp when it came to noticing those kind of things. But one thing was certain; he wasn't going to give up. He still had a chance to win his non-existent heart, and he was going to take that chance. Little did he know he was slowly winning it already...

The blonde chuckled and playfully poked his nose. The dog looked pretty stiff, but he wasn't fooling Demyx.

The dog's eyes opened and he looked at Demyx after his nose was poked. He stared at the other male for a moment, taking in his features as much as he could before his mouth opened wide and a squeaky yawn escaped him. Once the tired sound escaped him, he closed his eyes and crawled closer to the blonde, licking his cheek a few times before pressing his nose against him. Honestly, it was probably the cutest thing he'd ever done.

_Dogs are friendly creatures, after all_. The Cloaked Schemer thought. He would have smirked if it were possible for a dog to do such a thing. Zexion licked the other's face one more time before making another odd squeak and rolling on his side. The squeak was his equivalent to a sigh.

_Demyx... It's so nice to see you smile again_. He thought happily. It was great to see the blonde be his usual, optimistic self again. _Just you wait... I'll get my body back and tell you the truth in my own voice_. He turned his snout up and sniffed the boy.

_That's right... Grass and sugar. It fits you well. You're sweet like sugar, and you're able to pop right up again no matter how many time you're stepped on, like grass. _

The nocturne laughed from having his face licked. Even though he had gotten use to it by now, he didn't seem to grow tired of it. Seeing the dog roll on his side made him have to fight the urge to snuggle him to death; it was too adorable to bear. Demyx gave him a friendly wink and rubbed the dog's stomach. "Still sleepy?" he asked upon hearing the other let out a 'yawn'.

Zexion wriggled in delight when his owner rubbed his belly_ Alright, my canine instincts were responsible for at least a little of that, I promise._

The blonde sat up and walked towards the closet, getting his clothes and coat before heading towards the bathroom. "Sleep a little longer if you want; I'm gonna take a quick shower." With that said, he closed the door behind him.

As the water from the shower beat down on him, he ran his fingers through his hair with the shampoo. Demyx also had himself thinking for a bit; what happens now? How are they going to find a way to change him back? Also, what will happen when he _does_ change back? Will Zexion just give him a 'thanks', part ways, and never talk to him again? _Ugh...you're thinking too much. Stop worrying_. he assured himself.

When the blonde mentioned taking a shower, the dog felt heat rush to his cheeks for the second time that morning. When he heard the water start in the bathroom he immediately jumped to his paws. 

_He's just a few feet away... And he's completely naked_. The gray creature shook his head, trying to expel that particular thought from his mind. He jumped from the bed. As he did so, he saw his book lying on the ground out of the corner of his eye. It was then that he realized that he hadn't really looked through one section of it. Maybe there was something there that was more efficient than the floating pieces of paper there. He opened the book cover with his nose and began to flip through the pages with his right, front paw. Eventually, he came across a page that made him stop.

He looked at the page over and over again. It had its advantages, but it had disadvantages as well. However... Zexion did think that it would be useful. He wouldn't have to carry his book around with him everywhere he went to be able to communicate with Demyx, and if there was another meeting before he got his body back, he would be able to talk to the blonde without anyone else hearing. _Yes... This would work well enough_.

The gray dog stood and walked closer to the bathroom door, lying down in front of it to wait for the other male to come through it.

After rinsing the foam out of his hair, Demyx shut off the water and stepped out, wrapping a towel around his waist. The mirror was fogged up from the steam, causing the blonde to wipe some of the fog away with his hand. His hair that was normally spiked up was down and fell over his eyes, dripping slightly. The nocturne shook his head a little bit, reaching for a smaller towel and ruffling his hair with it. Once his hair was somewhat dry, he dried his face and let out a sigh. _ah, that was refreshing._ he happily thought.

Demyx rubbed the towel against his neck and shoulders, continuing to dry himself off. He was going to fix his hair, but noticed the gel wasn't in the bathroom. He frowned, furrowing his brow. _where'd I put it?... _The blonde looked through the cabinet below the sink and behind the mirror, but it was nowhere in sight. _hmm..._ He unlocked the door, only taking about two steps before finding Zexion right outside. Blinking twice, he looked left and right before letting out a nervous chuckle. Although he was a dog, it was still _Zexion_; part of him felt awkward for being seen like this, but part of him didn't know if he should be okay with it because he was a dog.

Zexion looked up eagerly when the door opened. Upon doing so, he wished he hadn't. Demyx.. In a towel... and being almost directly beneath him didn't help the situation much. The dog felt heat rush to his face. He backed away from the boy slowly, extremely flustered.

_Well... I think I'm going to try that particular ability out __**after**__ he gets dressed_. The Cloaked Schemer thought, embarrassed after what he just saw. The boy closed his eyes and covered them with his paws.

_Why, Demyx, oh why did you decide not to bring clothes in with you?! _A squeaky whine escaped the small creature as he continued to back away.

The blonde scratched the back of his head and sweatdropped. "Heh, sorry 'bout that...I have to look for somethi--oh, there it is!" He spotted what he was looking for by the nightstand, picking up the bottle of gel. Demyx couldn't help but feel his face flush when the dog covered his eyes. He didn't mean to let the other see him like this, but it couldn't be helped if he forgot to bring something into the bathroom beforehand. He bit his lip, walking back to the bathroom and closing the door again.

After a few more minutes, he had fixed his hair into the usual mullet-style, and slipped on his coat. The blonde stepped out again, dressed but still barefoot. Demyx eyed the dog curiously for a moment before squatting down, giving his book a side glance. "Do you have an idea to help get you back to normal?"

Zexion couldn't contain a sigh of relief as he heard the door close with a click. His paws dropped from his face and he walked to his book. The creature felt heat rush to his face for the third time that morning when he realized that if Demyx thought he was still a dog, he might have come out with nothing on at all. The Cloaked Schemer tried to focus on his book and get his mind off of that particular mental image.

When the door opened again, the gray dog looked up, this time more in worry than anything else, and was relieved to see that the blonde was now fully dressed. When the other boy asked about the book, Zexion shook his head.

_No, not a way to get back to normal, however much I wish it were so, but rather a way to communicate easier_. He pawed at the open page of his book and barked. The book glowed for a moment and the dog barked again. After he had, the glow disappeared.

_**"Can you hear me?" **_The creature tilted it's head to the side, Zexion's voice loud and clear in Demyx's mind.

He blinked twice, then stared at the dog, raising a brow. "..yeah?" He replied aloud. Did he just talk to him telepathically; or was he going crazy? The dog seemed to nod in acknowledgment, so he must've really said something._ Wow...how'd he __**do**__ that? _The blonde began to ponder for a moment, curiosity paying another visit to his mind. _I wonder if he can just hear what I'm thinking, or read my thoughts too... _Demyx gave Zexion another stern stare, as if trying to say something back. _Coooookieeee.._

The nocturne held back a gigglesnort, being the little dork he was. However, he couldn't help but bear a goofy grin and laugh. Then he coughed and shook his head. "Ok, ok, seriously." He chuckled. "Heh, this is alot better than carrying that book everywhere." After that being said, Demyx inspected the dog closely for a brief moment. There it was again...now he was starting to believe it wasn't just his imagination. Zexion was _blushing_! He didn't think it'd be possible; the schemer rarely got flustered. How he got him flustered, he couldn't te--

Oh...that's _right.._.The _shower_.

Demyx lay in front of the dog, cupping his chin in his palm. "Oh, Zexy.." he teased in a sing-song tone. "You wouldn't happen to be having certain thoughts about me, _would you_?"

Zexion watched Demyx for a moment and observed the boy as he tried to take in what was happening. Suddenly, the blonde's voice interrupted his thoughts.

_**"Cookie? That was an odd word to test it out with, but... Yes, in case you haven't noticed, you can talk to me as well. It's more of a mental link between us, really. Kind of similar to the way that the keybearer can connect the worlds... Using... The keyholes..." **_He stared intently at the other as he lowered himself to the ground and asked a question. The faint blush that remained on the dog's cheeks deepened.

_**"W-What?! I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about, Number IX." **_The Cloaked Schemer denied, turning away and trying to hide the pink tint on his cheeks that could just barely be seen through his fur.

_**"A-Anyway... A-As I was s-saying, there are s-some disadvantages to this. For one, i-it only works within a t-two meter radius. A-Also, the b-book has to stay open t-to that page. I-If you leave the w-window open and a breeze c-comes through and t-turns the p-page, the c-contact will break." **_The gray creature swallowed, trying desperately to regain his normal, stoic composure. _**"It t-takes a little more of my s-strength to keep this up t-too, so I'll b-be a bit w-weaker than usual." **_He weakly looked out of the corner of his eye at the older boy, who still had that same mock-innocent look on his face.

_**"I-It doesn't take much to talk back to me... Y-You just have to be aware that you're d-doing it. It's k-kind of l-like hypnosis. You have to t-trust the person you're l-linked to, or it w-won't work. That's what k-keeps me from reading your n-normal thoughts." **_Zexion swallowed again.

_I can't let him see me like this, it'll completely destroy the whole superior-underling relationship! Well, what's left of it, at least. I believe most of it disappeared when I became his pet._

His grin turned into a smirk. _"Suuuure...whatever you say, __**superior**__."_

Zexion's constant, non-stop stuttering was priceless. It was funny how he could make him squirm by saying something so simple. Not only that, but he was witnessing a rare sight; the schemer being incapable of talking in coherent sentences and acting more nervous than a porcupine in a balloon factory. Priceless. Completely priceless.

...and cute.

This was fun. Perhaps he should mess with him a little more. Although he had heard and understood everything he just said, Demyx pretended to be oblivious to his instructions. The blonde crawled a little closer to the dog with his elbows, placing his index finger under Zexion's chin and making him turn to face him. "Mmm..I'm sorry, what was that?" he asked innocently.

Zexion flinched as he felt Demyx's finger under his chin.

_**"D-DEMYX!" **_He pulled back from the older male and whimpered. _**"S-Stop it!" **_He ordered shaking his head furiously. _**"I know you heard me!" **_The gray creature backed up a few steps and dropped to the floor, putting his paws on his snout. He had never been more embarrassed or flustered in his life. He closed his eyes and tried to pretend he wasn't there.

After a moment the dog allowed a squeaky sigh to escape and he shuddered a little.

_**"Please, don't do that again." **_He pleaded, allowing his eyes to open. To say that the Melodious Nocturne's mock-seduction made him uncomfortable was an understatement. It completely unnerved him.

Demyx chuckled in amusement. "M'kay." He replied jokingly. The blonde laughed and ruffled the other's hair. "I was just joshin' ya." And what fun it was! He sat up in an indian-style position and rested his hands on his ankles. "So..what now?"

Zexion timidly approached the blonde and sat in front of him. As he did so, his stomach growled. The Cloaked Schemer usually ate breakfast as soon as he woke up. Waiting for Demyx to shower and explaining their new ability had taken some time, not to mention that he hadn't eaten anything since breakfast the day before. The dog allowed his gaze to fall to the floor in embarrassment. It seemed that he was unable to make a single move without becoming flustered or ashamed, lately.

_**"I... I'm a little hungry."**_ The gray creature said, honestly, not looking his owner in the eye.

"Aww...I guess you haven't had anything to eat since I found you.." Come to think of it, he hadn't eaten anything either. The blonde could sympathize...or better yet, empathize! Demyx stood, then sat on his bed for a moment to put on his boots. Then he squat in front of Zexion and picked him up, carefully placing the dog on his shoulder and pulling the hood over his head. To the kitchen!

----

The nocturne now stood in front of an opened refrigerator, eying it's contents. He was no cook; and to avoid burning down the kitchen and being pulverized by Xemnas, Demyx would have the aid of his canine companion, who was the one that was usually put on cooking duty. _"What do you want to eat?" _

Zexion stared at the contents of the fridge. Usually he just had fruit for breakfast, but there didn't seem to be anything left other than grapes. His eyes caught round white shells in the door of the fridge.

_**"Boiled eggs?" **_He asked Demyx, nudging his neck a little. The Cloaked Schemer was glad that he took another look at his book. It was a lot easier to communicate like this. Sure, there would be some problems if they were on opposite sides of a large room, but that was a very small complication. All he would have to do is get up and walk a little bit closer.

_**"They're really easy to make..." **_He insisted. _**"Probably the hardest thing is just dropping them in the boiling water without breaking them." **_The gray dog knew exactly why the water elemental was never put on cooking duty. He was there that first time, after all. He remembered it well...

_"Um... What's that beeping noise? Is it done?"_

_"NUMBER IX! THAT'S THE SMOKE DETECTOR!"_

The illusionist wagged his tail. That particular scene was much funnier in retrospect.

_"Okay."_ As Demyx picked up two eggs and bent down to get a small pot, he pondered for a moment. Was it okay for dogs to eat eggs? They had alot of protein and stuff, so they shouldn't give him stomach troubles or anything, right? The nocturne shrugged it off and gently placed the eggs in the pot, filling it about halfway with water from the sink. One egg probably won't hurt.

As the pot was placed over the stove, Demyx glanced hesitantly at the knobs. Which number to set it to? How many minutes? What temperature? Sea-green eyes rested their gaze on the dog, searching for an answer. _"Um..". _

Zexion just barely kept himself from sighing.

_**"Are you really this hopeless?"**_ He wagged his tail, trying to show that he meant it in a good-natured sense. _**"Medium high, then wait until it reaches boiling point. After it starts steaming, then you start taking account of the time. Three minutes for soft-boiled, five minutes or more for hard-boiled. I'm quite partial to hard-boiled, actually, if you must know." **_He nosed the blonde in a sort of "hint-hint-wink-wink" fashion.

_**"One more thing, if you're one for superstition, a watched pot never boils." **_To be honest, the gray dog was just curious to find one more thing about his companion. If he was the superstitious sort, then he would turn around.

Demyx chuckled nervously in response, nodding a little. He set the stove to medium high as told. He glanced at the clock so he'd know to wait five minutes. His eyebrow raised in curiosity to the superstitious rumor comment, keeping his gaze on the boiling pot_. "I wouldn't trust that theory too much...knowing me, we'll probably lose all of castle oblivion if I turn around."_

Zexion wagged his tail and leaned up to lick the Melodious Nocturne's neck, as he couldn't reach his face.

_**"You're doing really well." **_The illusionist encouraged, hoping to give the older male a little more self-esteem. _**"A lot better than your first time, at least. Then again, something that splatters a lot of grease like bacon probably wasn't so good for a first attempt. Boiling is a lot easier than frying." **_He could have chuckled._** "Well, at least you're a water elemental, so if something catches fire you can put it out right away."**_

His sensitive canine hearing picked up footsteps.

_**"Someone's coming."**_ He warned the blonde.

Demyx found himself blushing not only at the compliment, but the lick to his neck. That was one of his most sensitive areas; one wouldn't guess because no one's ever gotten close enough to find that out. He tried not to flinch from flusteredness and pay attention to his cooking, but gasped a little when alerted of someone coming. The blonde didn't move, simply continuing with making breakfast as if there wasn't anything strange going on (like a dog perched on his shoulder).

"...Demyx?...Are you..._cooking_?"

The nocturne turned his head a bit to see the person from the corner of his eye. It was another blonde; short with blue eyes and a young voice. Demyx sighed in relief. It was only Roxas.

"Heh, yeah...I couldn't wait for someone else to wake up and cook something, so I took it upon myself to try doing it on my own."

The other blonde withdrew a carton of milk from the fridge, pouring some of it into a bowl of cereal on the table. Roxas wasn't one to cook either. He preferred simpler things like toast or cereal anyway, nothing fancy. "Well, just be sure to be careful. We don't need another fire like last time. 'Sides, we have Axel to start those."

Demyx chuckled nervously. "Right..."

Unfortunately, Roxas took a seat and began to eat. Looks like he was going to have to be cautious now that there was someone nearby.

Zexion wagged his tail a bit. From all of the Organization members, Roxas was one of the least threatening when it came to Demyx's pet... Namely, him. The Cloaked Schemer listened intently as the youngest member of the Organization seemed to prepare a bowl of cereal for himself.

_**"Relax..." **_The dog tried to comfort his companion, nudging his neck just enough so that the Key of Destiny wouldn't notice the action. _**"If he notices how tense you are, he might become suspicious... Oh, the eggs are done. Turn off the stove, walk to the sink, pour out the water, fill it with cold water and let the eggs cool down for a moment. Be really careful. If you get burned..." **_I'll never forgive myself.

Zexion just barely kept himself from whining in fear that the blonde would get hurt.

_**"I'm serious. Be as careful as you possibly can."**_

Demyx let out a small sigh, calming down a bit. Zexion was right...then again, would Roxas be a brat and rat him out to Xemnas? The other blonde didn't cross him as the snitching type, so he hoped not_. "Don't worry, I'll be careful.."_ His arm went around the steam emitting from the pot, turning the knob to 'off'. Since the pot was half-filled with water, it was rather heavy. None the less, he grabbed the handle firmly and quickly shifted it to the sink, tilting it so that the water could pour out.

He turned on the water and refilled it with cooler water, causing more steam to rise. While he waited for the eggs to cool down, the blonde got a fork, knife, and plate. He almost got two by accident, but was able to remember about not rising suspicion at the last second and only picked up one. Wanting to get back to his room, Demyx picked up each egg with the fork and knife and placed them on the plate, balancing them as he walked out of the kitchen. "Later, Rox." he chimed.

"Mmhmm." he mumbled in response, mouth full of cereal.

His optimism remained in tact once again! Yep, he was a morning person alright. To avoid dropping the eggs, Demyx decided to take the faster way...to the portal!

------

Once they were back in the room (which they seemed to spending alot of time in now) the blonde sat on his bed and set the plate down, pulling off his hood. Tapping the fork on the first egg, he cracked it's shell and began to peel the rest of it. After that, Demyx cut it into slices and threw away the shells. "Here you go." he smiled.

Zexion nearly sighed in relief when Demyx was able to pour the water out of the pot without burning himself.

_**"Good job."**_ He encouraged. The dog tensed a bit as he noticed the blonde nearly pick up two plates, but relaxed when the Melodious Nocturne caught himself. As the water elemental picked up the eggs and balanced them on a plate, the gray creature became instantly nervous again. "Careful, don't drop them..." He cautioned, watching the older male's actions intently. Once they left the kitchen, giving their fellow Organization member a short "fare well," and used a portal to get to their room, the canine finally allowed a squeaky sigh of relief to escape him.

_**"Well done, Demyx."**_ The Cloaked Schemer complimented, wagging his tail as he climbed down from Number IX's shoulder. "That went off without a hitch." When the furry gray creature landed on the bed, he took a slice of the egg, a rather difficult thing to do with paws, mind, and put the whole slice in his mouth. Chewing as a canine was... Something that Zexion could admit he wasn't used to. It would take a while to get used to it as well. Their mouths weren't even the same shape.

After finishing one slice of the egg, the dog wagged his tail and hastily grabbed another slice.

_**"These are really good." **I usually have them with salt, but__**... "Great job on your second attempt at cooking, Demyx."**_

"Thanks...I guess." Demyx chuckled, peeling the shell off the other egg. He'd never really tried eggs like this, and was curious to taste. Instead of cutting it in slices like he did with the other, the blonde took a bite into it directly.

Big mistake.

"Owowow!!!" Steam merged from the area he bit, scolding his tongue. Putting the egg down, he pouted. "Ib waa too hah." Translated, he said 'it was too hot'. Muttering under his breath, Demyx lay on his side on the floor. He'd wait a little longer for it to cool down.

Zexion swallowed his second slice of egg and watched his companion as he peeled his own food. As he started to eat the egg as it was: completely whole. The dog whimpered.

_**"Demyx, stop!" **_He tried to warn the other, but it was too late. By the time he had fully formed that sentence, he other male had taken a big bite out of his own, scalding hot egg. _**"Oh, Demyx, you fool..." **_The Cloaked Schemer whined as the other complained that it was too hot. He allowed a squeaky sigh to escape him and licked the blonde's cheek.

_**"I should have warned you that it would still be hot, but I thought you had enough common sense to wait for it to cool down first." **_The gray creature scolded himself as well as his room mate at the same time. _**"Try to be more careful... You worry me." **_He blushed and pulled his tongue back in his mouth after realizing what he said.

_Be more careful of what you say, Zexion! You're going to give it away before you mean to. _

Upon hearing what Zexion had said, a light blush rose to his own cheeks. "...S-sorry.." The blonde turned over so that he was on his stomach, resting his chin on his arms again. He blew a few stands of hair out of his face before burying his face in his sleeve, many thoughts running through his mind again. Even though the two seemed to have settled their differences, Demyx couldn't help but still feel awkward. Being in the same room as your crush, having them know you like them, and you knowing they don't like you back...it was a strange, unwelcoming feeling; but at the same time he often forgot about that and they acted as if the confession/rejection never happened. Then again...

You can't force anyone to love you...no matter what. If you truly love them, you'd want them to be happy, right? Even if it means not sharing that happiness with that person...

Making someone happy never hurt so much.

* * *

**Sage: xD I saw Ratatouille about a week before we wrote this, and we found it funny that Demyx and Zexion had a Ratatouille moment of their own xP**

**I'll spare chapter 5 the agony and simply ask you guys to review. So review! D:  
**


	5. Ch5: Hold on

**Ch.5: Hold on**

**Sage: I do not own Demyx/Zexion from Kingdom hearts/CoM, or 'Hold on' by the Jonas brothers.**

* * *

Zexion watched in concern as his companion turned over and buried his head into his sleeve. The Cloaked Schemer sighed as he noticed the blonde was depressed, or at least upset. He padded to Demyx's torso and dropped next to him, lying his head on the boy's back and curling close to his body. He was trying to comfort the other as best as possible. 

_It's probably my fault he's feeling like this. He's probably thinking about the rejection. _The dog closed his eyes. Maybe his actions were selfish. Maybe he should go ahead and tell the other how he felt. He shuddered. The canine wanted to say it, he really did, but... He couldn't muster the willpower.

_He's going to feel awful for a long time, and it's just because I was stubborn. I was too stubborn then, and now I'm not stubborn enough._

The blonde lifted his head when he felt something lean against him. He glanced at the dog for a moment, not knowing what expression to give him, then turned his gaze over to the egg. It must've cooled down by now. He reached across for it and took another bite, staring off into space around his room as he chewed.

What still bugged him was that even though Zexion rejected him, he kept showing simple signs of affection. They were small, but still there. By now, the nocturne would have shrugged it off and blamed it on the other's newly acquired canine instincts, but something told him that wasn't it. One good way to find out was to further observe his behavior as a human...then he'd know for sure. So perhaps it was time to try a little harder on getting him back to normal.

As soon as he took care of that itching feeling. Something was bothering him...Demyx turned on his side and looked closely at Zexion's fur, running an ungloved hand up his back in the opposite direction it lay, scanning it. Surely enough, his eyes caught a small black spot scurrying across.

"Ak! Zex, I think you've got fleas!"

_What's he...? _His question was answered even before he could finish that thought.

_**"I... I'VE GOT WHAT?!" **_The dog stood and backed away from the Melodious Nocturne, feeling embarrassed as well as disgusted. He began to scratch, even though he had very little idea where the parasites were._** "Ugh, that's positively vile! ...Disgusting! Get off of me, you... Degenerate... Insects!" **_The gray dog shook as it were water he were ridding himself of and not parasites.

_**"Oh, this isn't working." **_He turned his attention back to his blonde room mate. _**"Demyx, I hate to have to ask this of you but..." **_He looked at the floor, obviously ashamed. _**"I need a flea collar. I'll pay for it if need be, but I can't go into a store and purchase it on my own." **_He felt the bite of a bug and scratched at his neck.

_**"Please... Demyx... I really do hate to ask so much of you, but I can't do this by myself."**_ He whimpered.

"I know, I know..." The blonde calmly replied. "But...I mean, sure, the flea collar will keep them away; but it's not gonna get rid of the ones you already have." Demyx tapped his chin for a moment. "I think you might need a bath. I'll probably have to get some flea shampoo along with the collar.." he trailed off, wondering where on earth he would find a pet store. Not only that, but should he go dressed in his organization coat? It was certain to draw attention...also, what would happen if Xemnas found out he had gone off somewhere? His whereabouts might draw suspicion...even more suspicion would be drawn towards himself if he was seen with the flea products.

To make things even more complicated; where would Zexion be able to bathe? Sea-green eyes trailed their gaze towards the bathroom, a sigh escaping his lips. Guess that could work...again, he felt a sense of...awkwardness. He had never given a dog a bath; let alone he it was _Zexion_ he was bathing. A blush crossed his cheeks as he hung his head. _Why me?.._ Well, on the bright side, as long as he stayed away from certain areas (-ahemcough-) they should both be fine...right?

Zexion whimpered.

_**"A... A bath?" **_He cringed in modesty. The dog looked up and was slightly consoled by the fact that his companion appeared to feel just as awkward as he did. However, that small amount of comfort was short-lived as his mind jerked him back into reality.

_**"R-Right, well..." **_He coughed. _**"There should be... some kind of... pet store or something in Twilight Town, right?" **_He slowly crept closer to the blonde and placed a timid paw on top of his foot. _**"So... Can we go right now? Just take off your gloves and your coat..." **_He felt a signifigant amount of heat rush to his face as he realized what he said could sound suggestive. _**"...A-And let's go."**_ He turned his gaze downward and pressed his nose against the ground, visibly flustered.

"Mmhmm." Demyx nodded, blush deepening in the slightest. He stood, unzipping his jacket as he walked over to the closet and dug through it. Just when he thought all he had was multiple sets of the same jacket, the nocturne found some 'normal' looking clothes. Out of the heap of jackets he pulled out a dark blue, long sleeve, buttoned shirt and some black jeans. Demyx put on the shirt, then came out of the bathroom a few minutes later with the jeans on. He left his boots on underneath so that they'd look like regular shoes. To be on the safe side, he put on a cap so that his hair and eyes would be obscured as well.

Now they were good to go.

Zexion waited patiently for Demyx to emerge from the bathroom, his tail wagging slightly. An irritating itch suddenly appeared on his shoulder and he raised a back foot to scratch mercilessly.

_This had better work..._The Cloaked Schemer thought, still bothered by the thought of the blonde giving him a bath. He stopped scratching once he heard the door open behind him. He turned around and was greeted by the handsome look of the older male in casual clothing. He felt a small amount of heat rise to his cheeks.

_He's actually quite attractive in those clothes... They seem flattering on him_. He frowned a little, somehow visible through his canine appearance. Though I think the cap was quite unnessecary. He thought, somewhat disappointed. The hat made it harder to see the Melodious Nocturne's eyes.

"Come on, Zex." he called, opening a portal.

As the water elemental opened a portal, the gray creature nodded in obedience, hastily bringing his thoughts back to the matter at hand, and stepped into the darkness.

--------

By the time they entered the pet shop, Demyx had taken the small dog into his hands as he walked down the isles. Looking for the products, they passed by the section with leashes and toys; causing the blonde to pause for a moment. He picked up one of toys, giving it a squeeze. When it squeaked, Demyx gave the dog a playful grin. "Want me to get one of these too?" he chuckled jokingly before putting it back.

At the end of the isle there was a wall lined with fishtanks. The nocturne couldn't help but get distracted with the fascination of the fish. There were so many different kinds in all colors, shapes, and sizes. A smile touched his lips as he watched them swim around for a bit. Zexion's tail began to wag as he noticed the way that Demyx was staring at the fish. Maybe he would buy the blonde a fish or two once he was a humanoid again. After all, he didn't seem to have a problem with having a pet, and a fish would be easier to take care of than he would be, the dog thought, somewhat guilty. After a few moments, Demyx snapped out of his daze and continued searching for what they came for.

Apparently, one of the employees noticed the meandering blonde and approached him. "Do you need some assistance, sir?" It was a young girl with bright emerald eyes and brown hair. Her nametag read 'Olette'.

Demyx blushed lightly, feeling somewhat embarrassed that he seemed like he was lost or something. None the less, he nodded. "Um, yeah...I'm looking for a flea collar and some dog shampoo."

"Right this way." She led him about three isles down, and surely enough, they came across a whole shelf of flea products.

"Thanks." the blonde smiled.

As he watched the Melodious Nocturne ask a teenage girl who worked at the store where they kept the flea products, his chest felt oddly heavy. An emotion swept over him that was new to him, at least as a Nobody. He vaguely recognized it from his life as a Somebody. He felt it when his older brother got praised by his parents and they ignored him. It happened so many times... Eventually it was what led him to become Ansem the Wise's youngest apprentice. Look where that got him. That emotion was... Envy. He closed his eyes in shame. How petty. But, why would he feel it now?

"By the way...do you know what specific brand I should get for my dog?"

The girl glanced at Zexion for a moment before nodding. She skimmed the shelves until she found the right one, handing it to Demyx. "This should work." Once she gave it to him, the brunette looked at the small gray dog again. "Aww..he's so cute!" she squeed. "Can I pet him?"

Demyx shrugged. "Sure, I guess."

He opened his eyes and was met with the girl as she held out a bottle of flea shampoo. Maybe... Could it be because she had Demyx's attention? That was really... stupid. And yet, though the Cloaked Schemer acknowledged it as such, the feeling couldn't go away... And that feeling soon became contempt and dislike for the brunette. When her green eyes gleamed with admiration and she asked Demyx if she could pet him, he became tense.

_Demyx, need I remind you that I am not a real dog?_ He thought, a bit angry that the blonde would give someone permission to touch him. As the girl's hand approached, a low, warning growl came from deep in his throat. His eyes gave his thoughts away well.

_Touch me, girl, and your fingers will have suddenly become significantly shorter_.

The girl pulled back, hearing Zexion's threat loud and clear.

Demyx nudged the dog, muttering in a hushed tone. "Be nice!"

Zexion scoffed as Demyx scolded him and apologized to the brunette.

_**"Well, Number IX, how would you feel if a complete stranger ran their hand through your hair and down your back? Don't give random people permission to touch me."**_ He continued to growl, this time directing it towards the blonde holding him.

Ignoring this, sea-green eyes met their gaze with emerald, giving the girl an apologetic smile. "Sorry about that...he probably feels uncomfortable because you're a stranger to him."

"It's understandable. Most dogs are like that." She chuckled.

"Heh, yeah...anyway, thanks for the help."

"No problem."

After paying for everything, Demyx found an alley out back and opened a portal back to his room.

------

The blonde hoped Zexion wasn't mad at him; he was just trying to make having him as a pet look convincing. Besides, the girl seemed friendly, so he didn't think there'd be any harm in it. If it wasn't for that, Demyx would have been more protective of the small dog. That set aside, the nocturne carried him to the bathroom, closing the door behind him. If anyone were to knock or walk in; he could easily make it look like _he_ was the one taking a shower.

He took off his cap, (which in doing so now exposed his messy hair) and set it aside, pulling the shampoo bottle out of the bag and reading the instructions. "Apply once, rinse, then apply a second time...don't use on your pet more than once every two weeks to avoid skin irritation." Seemed simple enough...if Zexion cooperates, that is. The blonde stood in front of the tub on his knees, rolling up his sleeves and turning on the water. Once it was at a warm temperature, he reached over to pick up the dog and place him in the tub.

"Alright.." he sighed, pouring some shampoo into the palm of his hand. Demyx splashed a bit of water onto Zexion's back before rubbing on the shampoo, slightly massaging the area to get it deep in his fur.

After they had returned to his room and the Cloaked Schemer had been carried to the bathroom, the blush from before returned to his face. 

_Right...The bath._ He shifted uneasily, watching with anxiety as the blonde turned the water on. He timidly lowered his head, as if he curled into a small enough ball, he wouldn't be seen. Unfortunately, that appeared not to be the case as the water elemental picked him up and placed him in the tub. No matter how warm the water was when he was splashed, standing water soon becomes cold. He stood still, shivering in the chilly water. As he felt a hand in his fur, his face became bright red. The massaging motion would have felt good to a normal dog, but to Zexion it felt... The same way he would have felt if he were a humanoid. Awkward. He sneezed.

Demyx flinched upon hearing the sneeze. "Eh, bless you?" Again, this felt strange. He often forgot that this was Zexion he was dealing with; (him having the outer appearance of a dog and all) so sometimes things like this didn't bother him. However, once he was given a reminder, the blonde would become quite flustered. His cheeks flushed as he continued to apply the shampoo to the dog's head. He had to wash his fur thoroughly, but didn't want to be touching him so much. Demyx could only imagine what it's like to be in Zexion's position right now.

Shifting on his knees uncomfortably, the blonde splashed water on the small dog again, rinsing out the suds and foam the shampoo had created. The bottle said to repeat, but at the moment, he'd just pretend he missed that part. He grabbed a towel nearby and wrapped it around the dog, pulling him out of the bathtub and onto the floor, ruffling his fur dry. Then he stood back and pulled the shower curtain in front of him, bracing himself in case the other decided to shake.

Zexion winced as water was splashed on him again. Yes, it was warm at first, but it felt so cold after just a short moment.

He shivered as he was pulled out of the tub and dried. At least the cold water would be mostly rid of him. He watched, somewhat amused, as Demyx pulled the shower cutain in front of him.

_**"Demyx... Need I remind you that I am not a real dog?" **_He frowned. Yes, he had the urge to shake himself free of the freezing water, who wouldn't? But, he had the human, or shall we say, Nobody determination to refrain from that instinct. _**"I'm not going to get you wet. I am, however, very cold." **_He whimpered. _**"Can't you-" **_He felt heat rush to his cheeks, though not enough to warm him up. He was about to say "can't you wrap your arms around me or something?" but he just managed to stop himself in time.

Demyx lowered the curtain, feeling slightly guilty. Was he offending him? Probably. "Sorry..."

However, he gave Zexion a curious glance when the other paused in mid-sentence. Although he didn't finish, the blonde knew where he was going with what he said. He found himself blushing again, hesitantly bending down to pick up the small dog. Opening the bathroom door, the blonde carried him to the bed, sitting against the backboard. He held Zexion close to his chest, pulling up the blanket. His warm flushed cheek brushed against the dog's cold nose. "I-is this warm enough?" he whispered.

What would this be like if the schemer were in his human body? His blush deepened slightly at the thought. Demyx began to wonder...would he ever get a chance to do something like this again? Zexion would probably push him away if pulled into an embrace...it's not like he'd ever ask him for warmth; even considering the circumstances. For now, all the nocturne could do was hold onto him while he still could...

* * *

**Sage: Happy Dexion day to you all! ( Zemyx day would technically be June ninth, so...yeah n.n; ) Also, check out my profile for a link to my DeviantArt featuring newly added Zemyx fanart!  
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